On Thursday, March 29, the Dudley Vision Advisory Task Force and other members of the larger Dudley Square community gathered for an update on the progress on the City’s new Municipal Facility at the site of the old Ferdinand building. There were two main topics on the agenda: Article 85 review, and the management plan for the construction site.

Article 85 ensures the preservation of historically important structures, which applies not only to the Ferdinand building, but to the Curtis and Waterman buildings on Washington Street, as well. These notes, from Sasaki Associates, the project’s architects, discuss the application being filed under Article 85, as well as the comments and questions from community members at the meeting.

Shawmut Construction then presented its proposed plan for site management, workforce parking, and traffic mitigation. Community members expressed concerns that the management plan provide for minimal disruption to local merchants, businesses, and residents; and requested that there be pollution control measures for vehicles and equipment at the site. Shawmut acknowledged the concerns and explained that they would try to minimize disruption, and that existing regulations required that certain construction equipment and vehicles would be equipped with exhaust control devices to minimize air pollution.